When I shared my post last week of the things we are loving for Lilly at nine months, I asked if y’all would be interested in a review on the Baltic amber teething necklace that Lilly wears and I thought no one would want to know anything about it. I was actually shocked that almost ALL of you were like, “Yes! Please tell me more about it!” I even had a few of you email me asking questions… so, I guess that means a post is in order!

I will preface this by saying: I am not an expert on this stuff at all. This is just OUR experience and I realize that not everyone’s experience is going to be the same! And, well, Lilly has worn hers every day since we got it!

So, here’s a little breakdown of what it is, what it does, and what I think of it…

In short, Baltic amber (from the Baltic region), is basically the area with largest deposit of amber in the world. You know, trees make amber. It’s fossilized tree resin. Well, Baltic amber, specifically, has about 8% succinite which is a natural analgesic and Medterra Organic products otherwise known as a natural pain reliever.

What the Baltic amber beads do is when they are worn closely against the skin, the skin absorbs the succinic acid and it creates a natural relief of pain. If that makes any sense.

Now, that’s all the boring mumbo jumbo.

A lot of people wear Baltic amber beads as a source of pain relief. I know a few people who wear them as a relief for arthritis and I’ve even heard of them being worn as a relief for headaches and neck pain. I’m sure there are a billion other uses (not literally a billion, but you know what I mean)… but here’s what I know about the relief of teething pain.

So, when a baby wears a Baltic amber teething necklace close around the neck, underneath clothing, the beads become the same temperature as the skin and the skin absorbs that succinic acid from the amber and it helps to relieve the awful symptoms of teething.

I realize this all sounds TOTALLY hippie dippie and I was really skeptical at first, but we were having so many issues with Lilly when she was teething early on, I was desperate. My husband was even MORE skeptical than I was… We were already cloth diapering and that’s as crunchy as we got, but in any event… I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least try it. Lilly got her first two teeth right before she turned five months and she had AWFUL symptoms. She would literally drool so much that she would SOAK through three to four bibs a DAY. Sometimes more. It was out of control.

When I got her the necklace, I put it on her and within 24 hours her drooling had decreased dramatically. Within 48 hours, she’d almost completely stopped drooling. She really hasn’t even worn a bib when she’s not eating since then.

She still chews on everything and she still does show signs of gum sensitivity (especially right now because she is currently cutting three teeth), but in general, we’ve not had many issues with teething since we got the Baltic amber teething necklace.

So, do I honestly think it works? Yeah, I do. I really do.

Now, the KEY is to make sure that the necklace you are getting is made of REAL Baltic amber beads. There are a lot of companies out there claiming to make Baltic amber teething necklaces, but they are actually made of plastic.

There are a couple at-home tests you can do to test to make sure the Baltic amber is real, BUT, to save yourself the hassle… here are a couple places I would personally recommend checking out to buy a necklace if you are interested in trying it out (I know, for a fact, these places use real Baltic amber beads – no this is not sponsored… I just know and trust these places):

• Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique
• CamBrayah Collection

I bought mine from a local baby boutique that doesn’t have an online store, BUT, Sweetbottoms is a boutique in the area that I love and they DO have one. CamBrayah is also a work-at-home-mom who makes them and she does an amazing job!

Here are some Baltic Amber teething necklace FAQs:

1. Won’t the baby choke on it? Most common question I get… Since it’s small and they can’t actually get it in their mouth because it sits so close to their neck, it’s gonna be pretty hard to choke on it. It won’t choke the baby because the clasp is a breakaway clasp so if it were to get caught on anything, it would simply break off. The beads are also tied and triple tied together so the odds of ONE bead popping off is pretty small. Is there a chance that the baby could choke on it? I’m sure there’s always a chance… but no more likely than a baby could choke on anything else. Lilly doesn’t even know she wears hers she is so used to it. She’s had it on for over four months and she’s never messed with it once.
2. Is the baby supposed to chew on it? No. Now, it wouldn’t HURT the baby if the baby chewed on it, but it’s not meant to be chewed on at all.
3. Can the baby wear it in the bath or in the pool? The necklace should NOT get wet. The water can be absorbed in the amber and lessen the effectiveness. It won’t ruin it right away, but prolonged exposure to water can affect it. We take the necklace off for bathtime and when she’s going to get in a pool or something.
4. What about sleeping? Should the baby wear it in his / her sleep? I’m not going to tell you what to do one way or the other… do what you are comfortable with. In general, we take Lilly’s off and put it around her ankle when she is sleeping. I don’t remove it for naptimes… so yes, she wears hers when she sleeps for her naps. Again, it doesn’t bother me and she never messes with is so I feel comfortable with her wearing it when she naps. Most people advise to take it off during sleep, but I’m really not going to tell you what to do here. Do what you are comfortable with. When she wears it around her ankle under her jammies, she’s definitely not going to mess with it… so there’s that.
5. What size should I get? Really depends on the size of your baby. I got the smallest size necklace for Lilly and it still fits her well without being tight. The necklace should sit closely around the baby’s neck without being TIGHT… if that makes sense.

So that’s pretty much my thoughts on it and our experience with it. Personally, I am a believer and really think it works. I also believe that God created things like Baltic amber to serve as natural remedies for pain, etc… so it makes complete sense to me how it works.

I don’t foresee us taking Lilly’s off anytime soon!

If you’re looking to read another mom’s review of the Baltic amber teething necklace, check out this one by Ruthy from Discovery Street. It’s great!

What about you? Have you heard of Baltic amber teething necklace before? Have you used the beads or are you familiar with them? If you are, did they work for you? Or if not, are you considering trying them? I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments! And, of course, if you have any other questions, PLEASE let us know!